Presence Weekly 4/08/2024

The DEVO - The "Bloom Where Y’all Are Planted" Mission (Part 2)

1 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare  [shalom] of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare [shalom] you will find your welfare [shalom]. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD. 

10 "For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare [shalom] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. Jeremiah 29:1–14 (ESV)

Our mission statement for last week was to start a study of one of the most recognizable to many Christians with a developed notion of living out our lives in the context of the public square - especially verse 7, "But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." This week, we are going to look at the second half of this passage. 

In Mark Twain’s famous work, A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court, 19th century, Hank Morgan is transported back to 528 A.D. and quickly sentenced to death by Merlin. However, recalling that his death sentence coincides with the date of a total eclipse (like the one we are having today), Hank convinces the King’s court that he has caused this astronomical event, moving himself from villain to god-like envoy in an instant.  Of course, Hank has simply misappropriated a reality known to him through reading and education of the 19th century to advance his position in a context where others did not know any better. This is not unlike what happens when we rip a Bible verse out of its proper context to endow it with improper meaning. 

Jeremiah’s words in verse 11 are the recipient of such misuse, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."  

These words adorn the walls of many Christians, and that, alone, does make them unhelpful. What makes them unhelpful is their regular application to the individual.  This is why skipping over salutary lists in Scripture usually leads to misreading and, therefore, misapplication of the author’s intent. As the first verse makes clear this is communication directed at “all the people.” That did not change when Jeremiah got to verse 11. 

What's interesting, and possibly devastating to the process of whole-life discipleship, is how much of present evangelicalism has divorced these two statements from each other as though they have no bearing on one another. It’s important to keep several truths in mind as we take in this whole passage. 

First, this verse is not addressed to an individual but to a people, which is the most significant misuse of the verse. True, God does have a plan for each of us. Further, that plan is for our ultimate flourishing. But this verse is talking about all God’s people in general and the ones who are in exile specifically. Why does that matter? Because of its impact on the emotional health and resiliency of the people in exile. These words are spoken to people who would likely never see the end of their exile. Most of the adults with children would die in captivity and never see their home again. Instead, they would die as prisoners, wondering if their children would die in the same condition. The youngest children would have only faint memories of Judah, and many would live their entire lives in captivity. Any notion that they are living “their best life now” is an abusive twisting of Scripture.

Second, while many verses speak of God’s love for individuals, this verse is meant to take the focus off the individual. Without this reading, parents and children who had lived righteous lives in Judah could say, “Why is this happening to me? I didn’t do anything wrong!” In this instance, the thrust of the sanctification is on God’s people as a whole (made up of individuals). The current Western focus on the individual has infected the evangelical mind with multiple damaging results. Misreading this verse as a word to individuals sets us up for asking, “What about when MY life is a disaster?”   

Third, verse 11 applies the previous verses and is not a new thought. As such, it’s best to read it as saying, “Through this exile, as you come to embrace and apply the Law of God in your lives, including loving your neighbor as yourself, the covenant God of steadfast lover and faithfulness who bought you out of Egypt, will continue to bring you wholeness, peace, and flourishing.” The word welfare used in verse 11 is the same as the word used in verse 7, and still comes from the Hebrew word “shalom.” This means that God’s purposes for them (the exiles) are the same as for the people around them (the conquerors) - but better. In seeking the shalom of their conquerors, they will find their own shalom. Their shalom, however, has two sources. Although living as exiles, they will flourish under the rule of their conquerors. More importantly, they will experience peace and wholeness from God as they return to participating in God’s mission rather than their own mission of self-service that got them exiled in the first place. 

Fourth, it makes clear that their release from their captivity and restoration is not something they will bring about, but one God will inaugurate. Perhaps this is the most helpful aspect of reading the passage in its entirety. 

As servants and leaders in the public square, our role is to seek the shalom of those around us, even when we are on the wrong end of a power differential with no hope of change. As we participate in God’s mission of shalom-seeking of our neighbors, we can do so without the weight of thinking that it is our job to fix everything. We are also freed from crushing anxiety, bitterness, and envy that result from evaluating all circumstances through a self-focused lens. Most of all, we are reminded that no matter how bad it is for us personally, we are not alone and are not forgotten. 

As the famous poster printed to prepare the British for World War II said, “Keep Calm and Carry On.”

Last Things...

This week, we are recording podcasts with Dr. Randy Newman on his recent book, Questioning Doubt, and with Dr. Daryl Charles on his recently reviewed book, Our Secular Vocation, and hope to have both out shortly.